This invention relates generally to processes and apparatus for treatment of proces flows by beams of ionizing radiant energy, and relates particularly to processes and apparatus using high voltage electron beams.
Typical applications for such processes and apparatus include the sterilization of air described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,733; sterilization of water and sewage described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,807; and production of ozone and other products described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,413. More recently, it has been demonstrated that high voltage electron beams may be used to precipitate difficultly-removable pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and sulfur from exhaust gases from industrial plants, internal combustion engines, metallurgical operations, electrical generating plants and the like. For a further discussion of this prior art, reference is made to "Radiation Physics and Chemistry," 1977, Vol. 9, pp. 371-388 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,869,362; 3,981,815; 3,997,415 and 4,004,995, which are incorporated herein by reference as if set out at length. Nevertheless, as far as is known, this promising process has not yet been put into practice widely on an industrial scale for reasons including, but not limited to, cost problems and the like.
It is clear from the foregoing that beams of ionizing radiant energy, and particularly beams of high voltage electrons, can be efficaceous in treatment of various process flows and can also be cost-effective in many applications. Nevertheless, experience shows that the apparatus and energy required to produce such beams are not so cheap that the beams should be wasted.